Great Finds.

For Those Pearly Whites

February 06, 2000|By Kathy Kaplan and Pamela Sherrod.

Open wide-b.b. bathroom, a set of whimsical characters that cleverly help dispense and protect dental sundries, makes brushing and flossing something to smile about. The series includes two toothbrush covers, a toothpaste cap and a floss dispenser. This is Alessi's first series for the bathroom and one that's particularly appealing to kids. Some stores sell each piece individually: floss dispenser, $15, toothpaste cap, $14, pair of toothbrush covers, about $16, all at Chicago Architecture Foundation shops, 224 S. Michigan Ave., 312-922-3432, and 875 N. Michigan Ave., 312-751-1380; Elements, 102 E. Oak St., 312-642-6574; and The GOOD DESIGN Store at the Chicago Athenaeum, 6 N. Michigan Ave., 312-251-0175. Counterculture at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave., 312-397-4000, sells the floss dispenser for $15, toothpaste cap, $14. Or buy the set for $38 at The GOOD DESIGN Store or Chiasso, 835 N. Michigan Ave., 312-280-1249.

-- Kathy Kaplan

JOHNNY-LIGHT ON THE SPOT

Green light means . . . whoa (if you're a woman). Go (if you're a man). That's because the soft green glow appears only when the seat is left up on toilets equipped with Johnny-Light. Call the small, easy-to-attach gizmo Bill Bradford's answer to the contentious matter with which women and men have wrangled since the outhouse came in. At last, no more cold surprises during nighttime visits. We know that women in Texas support that: "We sold over 500 at the Texas Federation of Republican Women convention in Houston (in November)," says Bradford, one of "Johnny's" inventors. No tools are needed to install it; two AAA batteries power it. To order, call 888-566-5483, click on www.johnny-light.com.